Kiadis gains NK-cell technology for immunology therapies through CytoSen acquisition

17-Apr-2019 - Last updated on 17-Apr-2019 at 14:18 GMT

(Image: Getty/selvanegra)

Kiadis Pharma acquires CytoSen Therapeutics and gains NK-cell technology capabilities to complement its own T-cell platform.

CytoSen, a US-based therapeutics company, has developed a proprietary natural killer (NK)-cell platform to establish an NK-cell therapy for anti-cancer therapies.

Netherlands-based biopharmaceutical company, Kiadis will use the acquired NK-cell platform to develop a cell-based immunotherapy pipeline for patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplants, which are commonly used as a form of treatment for leukemia, lymphomas, and various autoimmune diseases.

Dean Lee, co-founder of CytoSen, stated that the company’s NK-cell technology is currently the most advanced in the industry and has the capability to enable NK-cell therapy with broad anti-cancer potential. The company’s nanoparticle processing technology enables ex vivo expansion and activation of NK-cells, supporting high dose infusions with anti-cancer cytotoxicity.

According to CytoSen, NK-cells are one of the body’s first lines of immunological defense and can selectively destroy abnormal cells, such as cancer cells and viral infections.

Per the acquisition, Kiadis will have a unique combination of NK-cell and T-cell therapy platforms. Currently, Kiadis’ lead T-cell product ATIR101 (allodepleted T-cell immunotherapeutic), a modified infusion of a family member’s donated lymphocytes to reduce the risk of a life-threatening immune response in transplant, is in an ongoing global Phase III clinical trial.

CytoSen is currently developing its lead candidate, CSTD002-NK, which is expected to enter the clinic in Phase II studies in 2020, as a cell therapy for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.

Arthur Lahr, CEO of Kiadis, said in a statement, “With the addition of CytoSen, we can create cell therapy treatments that combine the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. The ATIR T-cell and CSDT002-NK-cell programs each have the potential to make transplants safer and more effective.”

“In combination, they have the potential to revolutionize hematopoietic stem cell transplants, making it suitable for an even wider group of patients,” Lahr continued.

Lahr stated that the transaction will establish Kiadis as a company with two ‘synergistic’ proprietary cell-based immunotherapy platforms, with the potential opportunity to create a pipeline of treatments for cancer patients.

Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. However, CytoSen will receive upfront consideration of 1.94m shares of Kiadis stock which amounts to approximately 7.4% of Kiadis’ shares. Per the achievement of six clinical development and regulatory milestones CytoSen shareholders will be eligible to receive 5.82m additional shares of Kiadis stock.